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We implemented a year-long community-based campaign to encourage parents to ask about firearms in homes that their children visit, in a small Midwestern city. Along with community residents and local leaders, we disseminated campaign messages through multiple communication channels. To assess message recall, attitudes, and whether parents asked about firearms, we conducted pre- and posttest surveys with randomly sampled adults in the intervention city and in a neighboring city. The posttest survey showed that parents in the intervention city were concerned about the danger of firearms when their child visits a friend's home, suggesting that the campaign influenced their attitudes.

The properties of nonlinear acoustic wave propagation are known to be able to improve the resolution of ultrasound imaging, and could be used to dynamically estimate the physical properties of tissue. However, transducers capable of launching a wave that becomes nonlinear through propagation do not typically have the necessary bandwidth to detect the higher harmonics. Here we present the design and characterization of a novel multilayer transducer for high intensity transmit and broadband receive. The transmit layer was made from a narrow‐band, high‐power piezoceramic (PZT), with nominal frequency of 2.0 MHz, that was diced into an array of 32 elements. Each element was 0.300 mm wide and 6.3 mm in elevation, and with a pitch of 0.400 mm the overall aperture width was 12.7 mm. A quarter‐wave matching layer was attached to the PZT substrate to improve transmit efficiency and bandwidth. The overlaid receive layer was made from polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) that had gold metalization on one side. A custom two‐sided flex circuit routed electrical connections to the PZT elements and patterned the PVDF elements; the PZT and PVDF elements had identical apertures. A low viscosity and electrically nonconductive epoxy was used for all adhesion layers. Characterization of electrical parameters and acoustic output were performed per standard methods, where transmit and receive events were driven by a software‐controlled ultrasound engine. Echo data, collected from ex vivo tissue and digitized at 45 MS/s, exhibited frequency content up to the 4th harmonic of the 2 MHz transmit frequency.

Background Over 90% of thrombi in atrial fibrillation (AF) originate from the left atrial appendage (LAA). Patients with contraindications to anticoagulation are potential candidates for LAA occlusion using the Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Transcatheter Occlusion system (PLAATO, ev3 Inc., Plymouth, MN). Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is typically used to guide implantation. Objective This study sought to examine the utility of intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) in providing adequate imaging guidance as an alternative to TEE during PLAATO implantation. Methods The study group consisted of 10 patients who underwent PLAATO implantation with simultaneous TEE and ICE imaging guidance. ICE was used to perform the following tasks typically fulfilled by TEE: (1) verification of the absence of LAA thrombus, (2) identification of the LAA ostial dimension for device sizing, (3) guidance of transseptal puncture, (4) verification of the delivery sheath position, and (5) confirmation of location and stability of device before its irrecoverable release. The ability of ICE to perform these tasks was assessed from three separate positions: the standard right atrial (RA) position, within the coronary sinus (CS), and the right ventricular outflow tract. Results ICE imaging of the LAA was optimal from within the CS, although imaging from the proximal pulmonary artery provided better visualization of the distal LAA in cross-section. The LAA dimensions, confirmation of the absence of LAA thrombus, proper positioning of the delivery sheath, verification of location and stability of the device obtained by ICE were consistent with findings from TEE. Conclusion Using nonconventional imaging planes, ICE imaging was able to perform the intraprocedural functions provided by TEE during implantation of the PLAATO left atrial appendage occlusion device.

Vibro‐acoustography (VA) is an ultrasound interrogation and imaging technique with a variety of applications. Here it was used to identify optimal parameters for detecting and imaging kidney stones in phantoms. The parameters varied included the difference frequency and the position in time of the analysis window used for image construction. Experiments in a water tank were conducted using a focused PVDF membrane hydrophone (receiver) placed in a central opening of an annular, dual element transducer (source), itself mounted on a translation stage. Our source consisted of 90‐ms pulses with a center frequency of 2.0 MHz and difference frequencies between 50 and 350 kHz, applied both on and off stone. Variations in the amplitude of the measured ultrasound backscatter and acoustic emissions as a function of difference frequency, between signals from stone and phantom, guided the choice of imaging parameters. The results were detailed images of renal stones measuring 10 dB above the background tissue. These f...